Sonawane had booked Shinde last year

Old enmity seems to be emerging as the one of the possible reasons behind the murder of additional collector Yashwant Sonawane.

Old enmity seems to be emerging as the one of the possible reasons behind the murder of additional collector Yashwant Sonawane. The official had last year booked the prime accused, Popat Shinde, and seized diesel and petrol worth over Rs 8 lakh from him.

On May 10, 2010, Sonawane had seized a tanker belonging to Shinde, containing 3,000 litres of petrol and 9,000 litres of diesel. Sonawane had also seized a barrel containing 20 litres of diesel near Bharat Nagar near Manmad.

HT is in possession of documents showing details of the seizure and the subsequent release of the tanker.

In a letter dated August 27, 2010, Sonawane instructed the local police station to release the tanker after carrying out the modalities.

The letter asked the police station to release the tanker after ensuring that a bond valued at 75% of the total value of the material was deposited.

It also instructed the police to ensure that the shape or colour of the tanker was not changed and that it was not leased or sold to another party. The letter was also marked to the local tehsildar and Shinde.

Sources said the murder may have been an act of retaliation. Samadhan Pawar, deputy superintendent of police (Manmad), said, “There is no record of any personal enmity. We are investigating if there was any problem between the two owing to the nature of the work that Sonawane had undertaken.”

Sources said that Shinde is still critical. “His condition is critical but has not deteriorated. He is on intravenous fluids and was given some milk today,” said Dr Ashok Rathod, acting dean, JJ Hospital.

“Police are yet to record his statement,” a senior police official on condition of anonymity.